Sylvania



(No Model.)

C. S. HBRSH 8v E. F. WEAVER.

y vTROLLEY WIRE CROSSING. No. 534,605. Patented Peb. 19.1895.

' i rire rares CHARLES S. HERSH AND EDWIN F. WEAVER, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENN- SYLVANIA, ASSIGNORS OF ONE-THIRD TO ALFRED E..CLARKE, OF

SAME PLACE.

TROLLEY-WIRE CROSSING.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.y 534,605, dated February 19, 1895.

Application filed March 13, 1 8 94. Serial No. 503,415. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern,.-

Beit known that we, CHARLES S. HERSH and EDWIN F. WEAVER, citizens of the United States, residing in the city and county of Philadelphia, State of Pennsylvania, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Trolley-Wire Crossings, which improvement is fully set forth in the following specification and accompanying drawings.

Our invention relates to electric power lines or circuits, upon which move electric contact brushes, trolleys or similar devices carried by a vehicle, and adapted to supply electrical energy thereto from the conductor, and our object is to provide a novel construction of a trolley wire crossing, whereby one conductor crossing another may be employed without interference therewith.

A further object of our invention is to provide means for making the crossing device reversible, and to these ends our invention consists in a bridge having one of its .trolley tracks pivoted to the frame thereof, so that gravity or other means will maintain it in its normal position, as will be hereinafter set forth.

Figure l representsA a side elevation of a trolley wire crossing embodying our invention. Fig. 2 represents a perspective View on Van enlarged scale of a portion of the same showing the reversible portion of the crossing device partly turned. Fig. 3 represents a section on line os, m, Fig. l, on an enlarged scale. Fig. 4 represents a clamp used to hold the trolley wire to the bridge. Fig. 5 represents a sectional view on line y, y, Fig. 4.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several figures.

Referring to the drawings: A designates the frame ofthe bridge having at the center a U-shaped recess in which is swiveled the U-shaped frame B, which is suspended in any suitable manner and can turn freely therein. In the present instance we have shown the frame B swiveled on the bolt C, which has a head E and the nut D, said nut D resting in a recess F of the clamp G, to which recess the nut or head D may be applied and removed at the side of the clamp, which latter has ridges similar to H, H, (Fig.

4) and which when bolted together hold the wire in place.

I designates clamps which are similar to the clamp G, with the exception of the recess F.

Between the upper end of the U-shaped trame B, and the head E of the bolt, is the bar K, to which -the plate L is secured at each end by means of bolts M.

N designates non-conducting material, such as mica, interposed between the bar K and plate L, said barand plate forming a frame y B which constitutes a sustaining device for the wire or conductor O.

O designates a wire or conductor which passes at substantially right angles through the bridge A, and rests in a groove in the under side of said plate L.

P designates holes which are drilled through the plate L, and filled with lead or solder to assist in keeping the wire O in place.

The U-shaped frame B is jointed at Q and R, at which points depend the arms S and T; respectively, the arm T being recessed at U to receive the end of the swinging bridge piece V, which is pivoted to the arm S at U. This bridge piece is ot' good conducting material, and is preferably pivoted on a suitable support in electrical connection with the conductor,'oi which it forms a continuation, which iu the present instance is the wire W, and is adapted to swing from a position Where it will be out of the path of the trolley moving on the conductor O into a position where it will bridge the space below said conductor to allow the trolley X of the conductor N to move upon it.

Especial attention is called to the fact that the top of the bridge A is unbroken so that there is noA necessity forbending the upper conductor in the application of our device to existing lines of wire, the conductor W being simply applied to the top of the bridge A, and clamped thereto.

When the U-shaped frame B is in its normal position, as in Fig. 1, it is held in place by the latches Y. When the frame B is locked in theposition shown in Fig. 1, the device is set for the trolleys of cars going in the direction of the arrow to pass over the bridge, the impingement of the trolley upon the piv- IOO oted arm causing it to move upward into the recess U, preparing a path for the contact device of such car by thus moving the bridge piece into bridging position, as shown in dotted lines in Fig. l. For the sake of simplicity in the operation of these contact bridges by means of the trolley carried by the car, we mount them to swing in a vertical plane.

At the back of the arm V we provide a recess Z for it to swing into, in case it should be struck or forced backward by any object. It it is desired to run a car in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow, itis only necessary to unhook the latches Y, swing the frame B around, lifting the jointed parts S and T over the conductor O, and then lock them in place by the latches Y. The position of parts V and T will be reversed from that shown in Fig. l, the bridge piece V appearing at the right and T at the left.

The operation is now apparent. The trolley of a car moving from left to right leaves the wire W, when it reaches the bridge, and striking the bridge piece V, closes the gap, as shown in dotted lines, and after its passage the bridge piece falls, leaving the way open for the trolley7 of a car going in the opposite direction. In Fig. 2, the reversible frame B is shown in the act of being swung to a position opposite to that shown in Fig. l, it being necessary of course to lift the hinged portions T and S in order for them to pass over.

the wire O, but we do not desire to limit ourselves to the exact form and operation of the devices herein shown and described.

For underground purposes, the crossing device and parts are inverted so that the bridgepiece V is above, a suitable spring being employed to hold the same in open position, and a spring may be employed to assist in lowering the arm V when the crossing is overhead.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a trolley wire crossing, a frame with an open base having an arm adapted to close said base, the section carrying said arm being reversible, substantially as described.

2. In a trolley wire crossing, a frame having a section swiveled thereto, said section having pivoted legs, substantially as described.

3. In a trolley wire crossing, a frame having an open base', a bridge piece pivoted thereto, said frame being provided with a slot in the rear of said bridge piece for substantially the purpose set forth.

4. In a trolley wire crossing, abridge piece, a frame having legs .pivoted thereto, and means for locking said frame in position, substantially as described.

5. In a trolley crossing, a frame having an unbroken top to which a wire is adapted to be clamped, said frame having an open base, and an arm adapted to automatically close said base by the action ofthe advancing trolley, substantially as described.

6. In a trolley crossing, a bridge having an open base, a rotatable bridge piece supported in said open base, and a pivoted arm on said bridge piece adapted to be engaged by a trolley, and. normally standing in position to permit the trolley on a crossing conductor to pass without obstruction, substantially as described.

7. In combination, a bridge havin-g an open base, a bolt swiveled in said bridge, carrying the frame B and bar K, to which is attached the part L adapted to carry the conductor O, substantially as described.

8. In combination, the bridge A having an unbroken top adapted to ca rry the wire W, which is held thereto by the clamp G, which carries a bolt supporting the frame B, said frame having swinging legs, substantially as described.

9. In a trolley wire crossing, a bridge and a clamp adapted to hold a wire thereon, said clamp being adapted to sustain the frame B, the bolt connecting said parts having its head or nut in a recess in said clamp, substantially as described.

l0. In a trolley wire crossing, a clamp adapted to hold a wire to the crossing bridge, said clamp having a recess which receives the head or nut of a bolt on which is swiveled the frames B and B', the parts being combined substantially as described.

ll. In a trolley wire crossing, a clamp adapted to hold the same to the crossing bridge, said clamp having a recess which receives the head or nut of a bolt on which boit is swiveled the frame B composed ofthe bar K, and plate L, substantially as described.

12. In a trolley wire crossing, the herein described wire-supporting device consisting of the bar K to which is secured the plate L, which is adapted to be in contact with a wire, the whole being suitably supported, substantially as described.

13. In a trolley wire crossing, the herein described supporting device, comprising the bar K, to which is secured the plate L, adapted to be in contact with a wire, said plate being provided with the perforations Pwhich hold filling material therein for securing the wire, the whole being suitably supported, substantially as described.

CHARLES S. HERSl-I. EDWIN F. NVEAVER.

Witnesses:l

JOHN A. W IEDERSHEIM, R. H. GRAESER.

ICO 

